In June, Amazon launched Prime Wardrobe, a try-before-you-buy service, where customers are sent clothing that they are able to try on before deciding what they want to keep. The more items they keep, the bigger the discounts they receive.

Amazon also announced plans to buy grocery chain Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in June. The chain has 465 physical stores, which will allow Amazon to expand its footprint and have a presence in key cities across the US. Physical locations are key for Amazon, as it seeks to offer more Prime services across the US, such as same-day delivery.

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2. Ulta Beauty is making brick and mortar relevant again.

Facebook/Ulta

Headquarters: Bolingbrook, Illinois

Year founded: 1990

Why it's revolutionary: The 27-year-old company has become the largest beauty seller in the US. By offering in-store salon services, customers have a reason to come into stores to shop.

Shoppers can also use the Ulta app to scan different product barcodes and read customer reviews.

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3. TJ Maxx is changing department stores as we know them.

Associated Press

Headquarters: Framingham, Massachusetts

Year founded: 1976

Why it's revolutionary: While TJ Maxx's off-price business model isn't new, it continues to be one of the most successful companies in the retail sector.

Discount shopping became popular during the recession and many shoppers have yet to return to full-price stores like Macy's and Nordstrom. TJ Maxx was ahead of the trend and able to capitalize on this shift that's causing traditional department stores to fail.

Department stores such as Macy's and Nordstrom have tried to replicate the off-price concept but have had less success.

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4. Aerie has captured the hearts of young women by abandoning airbrushing.

Aerie

Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Year founded: 2006

Why it's revolutionary: Aerie has led the charge in the body positivity movement by refusing to airbrush models in its Aerie Real campaign. It's working: The brand has seen 13 consecutive quarters of double-digit sales growth.

Meanwhile, Victoria's Secret, which known for its ads featuring rail-thin models, continues to lose ground — same store sales are down 15% so far this year.

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5. Modcloth is making plus-size clothing cool.

Why it's revolutionary: ModCloth has been one of the e-tailers leading the way in the plus-size revolution. Not only does it offer larger sizes, but the company has gained a reputation for its inclusive, pro-feminist business practices.

ModCloth's strategy has attracted attention from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. The company was acquired by Walmart in March for an undisclosed price estimated to be between $50 and $75 million.

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6. Lidl has found a way to sell quality products cheaply.

Business Insider/Hayley Peterson

Headquarters: Neckarsulm, Germany

Year founded: 1973

Why it's revolutionary: The German grocery chain Lidl has arrived in the US and is shaking up the grocery store scene. It claims to be 50% cheaper than its competitors in the US while still offering high-quality products.

How does it keep prices so cheap? About 90% of its products are private-label brands. Lidl also stocks a limited selection of products and cuts costs on things like lighting and labor.

7. Peloton is bringing boutique spin classes into your living room.

YouTube/Peloton

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2012

Why it's revolutionary: Peloton is changing the game when it comes to boutique fitness classes. The company sells a $1,995 stationary bike that streams live and pre-recorded spin classes so you can work out on your own without going to a gym or studio.

8. Instagram has become a marketplace of products.

Instagram

Headquarters: Menlo Park, California

Year founded: 2010

Why it's revolutionary: Instagram is no longer just a place to share photos of food and travel.

The social network now features carefully curated and personalized ads that show you products you can buy directly from your feed. Users can click on the "tap-to-view" icon to find out more details and prices and then select "Shop Now" to buy these online.

This new shopping feature was rolled out in November 2016 to 20 different companies, including Kate Spade, Warby Parker, and fashion store Lulus, which claimed that nearly 33% of the people who tapped on their products when onto the site after.

Instagram claimed that the results have been encouraging and that thousands of other retailers will now be advertising on the app, including Nike, which announced in July that it would be selling sneakers on the app.

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9. Blue Apron allows consumers to make restaurant-style meals for half the cost.

Blue Apron

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2012

Why it's revolutionary: The meal kit market generated an estimated $1.5 billion in US sales in 2016 and it's expected to double in the next few years, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts.

Blue Apron is leading the way - Business Insider reported that 1 million customers paid for Blue Apron orders in the first quarter this year, up from 649,000 customers in the same period last year. Its subscribers receive pre-measured ingredients and recipes each week for meals that cost just under $20 for two people.

Major US grocery stores are attempting to follow suit. Kroger launched its Prep + Pared meal kit service in four of its stores in May. Whole Foods has partnered up with food start-up Salter to bring meal kits to some of its stores.

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10. Adidas is pioneering the customization of sneakers.

The Adidas Futurecraft Biofabric.
Adidas

Headquarters: Herzogenaurach, Germany

Year founded: 1949

Why it's revolutionary: Adidas is bringing 3D printed shoes to the masses. The brand has partnered with the startup Carbon, which uses a photosensitive resin that hardens as light hits it to create the sneakers. This process is much quicker than anything that has been trialed before in sneaker-making before, reducing the time it takes to make a sole from 90 to 20 minutes.

Adidas says it plans to make 5,000 3D pairs of sneakers this year and 100,000 in 2018.

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11. Sweetgreen has made salad cool again.

Hollis Johnson

Headquarters: Washington, DC

Year founded: 2007

Why it's revolutionary: This salad chain has garnered a cult following with its $10-plus organic salads. Up until 2016, it even had its own music festival called Sweetlife, which has now been replaced with year-round block and dinner parties.

If you've visited any of Sweetgreen's 67 locations in the US, chances are you'll find a line snaking out the door.

12. Bonobos is mastering showrooming.

Why it's revolutionary: This trendy men's online retailer was bought by Walmart for $310 million in June as a tactical move to get in with the millennial market.

Bonobos has 38 so-called "Guideshops" across the country where customers can try on clothes to make sure they fit well. These items are then ordered in-store and shipped directly to customers. The unique system means Bonobos doesn't need to stock any inventory in its stores.

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13. Apple is changing the way we pay.

Apple/YouTube

Headquarters: Cupertino, California

Year founded: 1976

Why it's revolutionary: It's no secret that Apple is a huge force in technology, but the company's Apple Pay system has completely shaped the way we shop. According to management consultancy firm Boston Retail Partners, Apple Pay is now the mobile payments standard, surpassing PayPal, which was created almost a decade before.

In its Q1 2017 earnings call, Apple said that Apple Pay is gaining "phenomenal traction," claiming that the service had seen a 450% annual increase in transaction volume.

15. Casper eliminated the hassle involved in buying a mattress.

Casper

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2013

Why it's revolutionary: Consumers no longer need to spend hours rolling around on mattresses in starkly lit stores. Casper sells one mattress style that comes in six different sizes. Mattresses are sold online, delivered in compact boxes, and cost between $550 and $1,150.

The company recently raised $170 million in a round of funding led by Target, which is now stocking Casper products in its stores. The startup is also looking to go public, The New York Times reported.

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16. Warby Parker has made wearing glasses cool — and cheap.

Business Insider

Headquarters: New York, New York

Year founded: 2010

Why it's revolutionary: Warby Parker made it possible to shop for glasses without ever going into a store.

A five-question quiz online helps determine which shape and style customers want. The company sends customers five different pairs of glasses and gives them five days to try on and send back whichever ones they don't want. Glasses start at $95, including the cost of prescription lenses.

The company now has 56 stores in the US and Canada.

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17. Wayfair is making furniture more accessible.

Why it's revolutionary: The online furniture store Wayfair has launched a new "search with photo" feature that allows customers to upload photos of furniture they like, and the tool will help them find similar products to buy.

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18. ASOS is pioneering ultra-fast fashion.

Facebook/ASOS

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

Year founded: 2000

Why it's revolutionary: ASOS has mastered the art of a slick supply chain by moving production closer to key markets. The UK based online retailer takes between two and eight weeks to bring a product from the design board onto its website, beating fast fashion retailer Zara and its five-week turnaround.

ASOS is also constantly refreshing products to drive customer frequency. According to a research report by Fung Global Retail & Technology, ASOS adds 4,500 new products to its website each week.

"The makeup is cheap and affordable so it's a low-risk purchase but it's high quality," Bridget Weishaar, a senior analyst at Morningstar, told Business Insider.

The company, which went public in September 2016, operates online and in 19 stores on the East and West Coasts. Prices start at $1; lipsticks cost $3.

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20. Dollar Shave Club is saving men hundreds of dollars on grooming.

Dollar Shave Club

Headquarters: Los Angeles, California

Year founded: 2011

Why it's revolutionary: Dollar Shave Club revolutionized men's grooming. Rather than spending money on disposable razors, this service allows customers to set up a subscription and have razors delivered by mail for as little as $1.

21. Sephora is using technology to allow customers to try before they buy.

Avery Hartmans/Business Insider

Headquarters: Paris, France

Year founded: 1970

Why it's revolutionary: Sephora is making beauty high tech. Its mobile app Virtual Artist allows customers to virtually apply lots of different types of makeup without having to even touch their face. If you find a look you like it will tell you exactly which products are being used so you can easily find them in store.

Customers can try before they buy throughout the store, use the color IQ scanner to match colors to their exact skin tones, and even use a touch screen fan to smell different scents.

23. Stitch Fix has made a personal shoppers accessible to all.

Facebook/Stitch Fix

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Year founded: 2011

Why it's revolutionary: Stitch Fix makes shopping easy for people who don't have the time or the patience to looking for clothing and accessories online or in stores. New customers fill out a detailed customer profile which allows Stitch Fix to determine what clothing would best suit them, what their favorite styles are, and how much they are looking to spend.

Each delivery contains five items and costs a $20 flat fee. That flat fee is deducted from the total cost of the clothing customers decide to keep.

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24. Ollie's Bargain Outlet is scouring the nation for bargains.

Facebook/Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Headquarters: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Year founded: 1983

Why it's revolutionary: Ollie's Bargain Outlet sells surplus merchandise from different retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers from across the country. Its buyers look for overstocked products, refurbished goods, and irregulars from manufacturers. It also buys inventory from companies going that are liquidating or from stores that have been damaged by a fire or a flood.

"Ollie's may purchase the undamaged inventory and put it in our stores at drastically reduced prices. Yes, it might smell a little smoky, but it'll be so cheap that you won't mind!" the company says online.

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25. Brooklinen makes luxury bedding affordable.

Brooklinen

Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York

Year founded: 2014

Why it's revolutionary: New York-based Brooklinen launched on Kickstarter just over three years ago with the idea to sell luxury bedding at a reasonable price. The company pulled in $25 million in 2016 and is on course to double to $50 million in 2017, Business Insider reported.